Red Sox pitcher picks up first major league win over White Sox

Sunday

Aug 31, 2008 at 12:01 AMAug 31, 2008 at 2:51 PM

The latest Red Sox tease was just like the other Red Sox teases of the last four years. There was something good in the first start, something bad. There were signs of promise, there were signs of things to work on. The point is, there’s no telling how Michael Bowden will turn out.

Bob Stern

The latest Red Sox tease was just like the other Red Sox teases of the last four years.

There was something good in the first start, something bad. There were signs of promise, there were signs of things to work on.

The point is, there’s no telling how Michael Bowden will turn out.

“I’m starting to be able to breathe now,” said Bowden after picking up his first major league win, 8-2, over the White Sox on Saturday night.

Bowden’s major league debut will be noteworthy to him, but it will be lost in a myriad of other games and other decisions that will come. It happens to everyone.

Maybe Bowden will be Jonathan Papelbon, who allowed four hits and three runs in 5 1/3 innings in his major league debut in 2005. Who knew he’d go on to be one of baseball’s best closers?

Maybe he’ll be Jon Lester, who got a no-decision after allowing five hits and three runs in 4 1/3 innings in a 7-4 loss to Texas in his debut in 2006. Now, he just might be the ace of the Red Sox staff.

Or maybe he’ll be Clay Buchholz, who gave up eight hits and four runs in six innings in his debut last season. He followed that with a no-hitter the next time out, but has since regressed and is now with Double-A Portland.

Or perhaps he’ll be Justin Masterson, who wowed everyone by allowing two hits and one run in six innings in his debut earlier this year. Now, he’s a valuable member of the Red Sox bullpen.

The point: There’s no telling how Bowden will progress. He’s just the latest of what seems to be an endless stream of young pitchers making their way to the Red Sox.

“It’s filling pretty big footsteps coming in behind guys like Lester and Buchholz,” said Bowden. “Those are guys who have all made their marks in the big leagues. It’s an honor just to follow them.”

There was plenty to like about the 21-year-old sandwich pick from the 2005 draft. There was his moxie. He threw all his pitches -- fastball, curveball and changeup -- for strikes, and showed good control, walking just one.

For another, there was grittiness. In the fourth, he left runners on second and third by striking out Nick Swisher looking at a 3-2 changeup. In the fifth, after back-to-back one-out singles, he got Carlos Quentin and Jermaine Dye on fly balls to left field to leave the runners stranded.

“I thought his poise and mound presence were outstanding,” said Red Sox manager Terry Francona. “As he got into the game, he started to use his changeup and breaking ball and pitched out of a couple of tight situations. I thought he really composed himself well and completed.”

Then there were things not to like. He gave up seven hits in five innings and seemed to always be in trouble. He also threw 89 pitches in those five innings, hardly efficient, but considering it was his big-league debut and he probably had a bad case of nerves, that can be overlooked.

His line in the game was ordinary: five innings, two runs, seven hits, one walk and three strikes. Then again, the line on the other young guns in their debuts was just as ordinary.

“He did good,” said Francona. “He really did good.”

White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen didn’t see it quite that way.

“He’s OK,” said Guillen. “He didn’t really impress me. When you deserve credit, I’ll give you credit. He didn’t impress me. He was good enough to beat the White Sox tonight.”

Bowden got out of the first inning without allowing a run, even through he walked Orlando Cabrera, the first man he faced on five pitches.

He was touched for a run in the second inning on doubles by Jermaine Dye and Alexi Ramirez, and he gave up another run in the third on a triple by Joe Crede and groundout by A.J. Pierzynski.

Other than that, nothing.

“It was inevitable I was going to walk the first batter because my heart was pounding kind of hard,” said Bowden. “Other than that, I settled down and got into a rhythm.

“My heart was pounding like that around 4 o’clock, but then when I started walking from the bullpen, seeing the crowd and actually saw a Mike Bowden poster, so it kind of got it started. After that first batter I kind of settled in.”

The Sox took a 3-0 lead in the first inning on run-scoring double by Mark Kotsay and two-RBI double by Jason Bay.

Jeff Bailey’s home run leading off the second made it 4-1, and the Sox added another in the inning on a triple by Jacoby Ellsbury and sacrifice fly by Jed Lowrie.

Two runs in the fifth on Kotsay’s double gave the Sox a comfortable 7-2 lead.

The final Sox run came in the eighth on Lowrie’s RBI double.

But let’s not take away from Bowden this night. He’s from Aurora, Ill., a suburb of Chicago, and grew up a Cubs fan. He doesn’t hate the White Sox, but he sure did like beating them.

“I grew up watching Ken Griffey and guys like Jim Thome and other guys on the White Sox and knowing I’m competing against them is an unbelievable feeling.”

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